a collective gift 1

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... of so many snowflake variations and patterns in one place, from a talented group of generous designers!  Perhaps you recall my invitation to design the next round(s) for a Celtic interlaced center - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/05/lets-design-round-3.html... the DAL Celtic Snowflake 'challenge' as several called it. I loved the response and the models that turned up, some almost overnight! And later, when I requested each participant to share their pattern, they readily complied. I compiled them all in a Google Doc, listing them chronologically as they came in. 

The main reason for this inordinate delay in sharing with you is two-fold: 1) I wanted to synchronise the patterns, adding a diagram to each or filling in any 'gaps', and 2) I wrote an article on this project for the IOLI Bulletin and wanted to wait a decent amount of time. The first objective hasn't been achieved, unfortunately, though I did begin diagramming. For this I sincerely apologise to my designers, but hope to work on it in future.

I have decided to share the document as is since it is the season of tatting up snowflakes! Please note that the patterns are not tested and there is diversity in presentation styles. We hope you enjoy the individual flavour and range of effects, tools, and techniques and also the story behind each! All details are in the doc, the link to which I will share at the end of the visual display of models. Between my article and the Google docs, the entire backstory is laid out . hence I will not repeat it here.

Presenting them alphabetically ---

1. Aleksandra Pawlik - Round 3 designed and tatted within a day!

 

2. Anita Barry - Two different versions, both with Round 3 designed!

 

The difference in backgrounds brings out the mandala effect differently.

Clever use of split rings.

3. Anna Bonelli - Rounds 3 & 4 designed. Makes a nice wheel impression.

4. Antonia Lai - Round 3 designed in single shuttle with bare thread spaces!

5. Barbara Slodka - Round 3 designed with Josephine rings and pleasant pastels

6. Daniela Galli - Round 3 designed and tatted in two shades of metallic threads

7. Donna McDade - designed Round 3 for Five versions! All 5 models have been appliqued on a quilted wall hanging (pic in the doc).

8. Jean Inglis - Round 3 designed. Appears like a flower or wreath.

9. Ladyphoenix tatter - designed Rounds 3 & interlaced Round 4 after discarding two other attempts since it caused cupping.

10. Margaret Davies - designed Rounds 3 & 4 and tatted multiple models till she was satisfied! 

11. Lella Loops - designed Round 3 and also styled a Celtic shuttle to work the interlacing in this round! She is a needle tatter.

continued in next post along with links .... 

picot me roundup 1

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 Zhuzhing the butterfly - that's what it was all about and boy did our participants rise to the occasion! 

This is where it all started #PicotMeEndrucks - 

pattern: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F_2y-JQn-noKF2AvegujNQIP4IYXRqWZ/view . Our April game was about adding ornamental/decorative picots to Antonia Lai's Life is Bliss butterfly, a pattern derived from Frau Endrucks' pattern #32 (E32). We even compiled a pdf showcasing several decorative picots. https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/04/no-excuse-to.html 

Many of our participants first tatted the butterfly so as to get a feel of the motif, and then went on to embellish it in their 2nd or more versions. Let's see all the entries that were shared and as usual a few new offshoots emerged as well  (entries listed alphabetically).

1. Anita Barry - sent in 3 versions. She wasn't happy with her first two attempts but graciously shared them - we all learn from experience.

The top model contains twisted picots, knot ring picot, and several bead effects.

The 2nd model has tuft picots.

This 3rd version sports several double picot effects such as overlapping double picots, triple picots, and broomstick picots.

2. Antonia Lai - also participated despite her life engagements.

Her version has adjoining and graduated picots.

3. Brookie Heightsmen - tatted two models. 

She went for a steam punk look, using tiny gears inside the rings and seed beads in her first model.

Her 2nd version is quite a rainbowish colourway.

4. Carol Parry - shared her notes here - https://lelia-stitchesoflife.blogspot.com/2024/05/endrucks-1920-project-picot-me-endrucks.html

A beautiful colourway, she embellished with beads and beaded dots.

5. Claudia Mahnke - returned to tatting after 40 years and is in a relearning phase. 

She did get it right, in her 2nd attempt, and identified areas that needed improvement and practice. 

We love that our group has such an eclectic mix of skills, talents and enthusiasm.

6. Cynthia Dooley - sent in two models in needle tatting.

Her first 'flight attempt' was the original.

This is what she says about her 2nd model - "A combo of picots. Looks like a hot mess. Loop over picots on ring and chain. Then ribbed ring in lower quad. Kind of reminds me of Fraggle Rock Butterfly"

7. Cynthia Mullinax - used her butterfly at the end of a bookmark. 

Her adjoining picots outline the wings on top.

She says - "I made the butterfly with thread I was playing with. I didn't have a pattern or plan at the start so I picked it up again and put a butterfly on the end."

8. Jacqueline Roth - made three!

Her top two versions are weighted down with large crystal beads and Celtic knot picot for antennae. 

9. Julie S Villegas - was at a non-tatting phase when she spotted this game and was immediately energized and inspired to pick up her shuttles again!

The first butterfly tatted as per pattern.

2nd version with double picots and additional free picots on the rings.

3rd version with broomstick picots, Josephine rings, and graduated picots.

And what a flutter of butterflies! 

10. Katherine Calvey-Steward - sent in two. 

In her first regular version, she learned the Catherine wheel join.

Our games are often the source for new learning!

Her 2nd version with lots of long double picots is a lovely shade.

This is the first batch with two more batches to fly in! So stay tuned....

..... to be continued

Many many thanks to all our participants for their enthusiastic beauties!

taking wing

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Just as I had visualized and hoped for! The wings with gathered picots! Yes, I'm doing the happy dance for sure, soaring on wings of fancy :-D

The Pattern -- 'Life is Bliss' butterfly by Antonia Lai, derived from Endrucks' pattern #32 (or E32). Here is the pattern - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F_2y-JQn-noKF2AvegujNQIP4IYXRqWZ/view . For all links to Endrucks' docs and patterns - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w1TZBg-HIzseGEUoJ-rko7tNbtSgZY5A18Oy2Y9Hh0Y/view

The Game -- This is my entry for the #PicotMeEndrucks April 2024 game in the Endrucks 1920 Project FB group. I had this in mind ever since I was preparing the presentation, etc., yet could not get around to tatting it for various reasons. One morning probably a week back, I actually woke up reaching out for the butterfly I had finished tatting (in my dream literally, but it was oh so vivid!!!). Yesterday I finally took hold of myself and belted it out for real.

The Thread Colour -- Deliberately chose a bold but lighter shade. Variegated or dark hues would probably mask the picots or appear too busy. Worked in Anchor size 20 (equi to Lizbeth 10) mercerised cotton. The lower ones are my butterflies for the #PickMeEndrucks game last Feb (https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/02/indisciplined.html) These two models were a great help in deciding placement and size of picots.

The Decorative Picots -- gathered picots; double picots and some variations; twisted picots (floating) with Josephine ring/picot at the tip; twisted double picot; chain picot; graduated picots. Phew! 

I had roughly sketched my idea of where I wanted which picot. Once shuttles were picked up, some of these were changed.

I have labelled the various picots in this pic. Easier to show than explain. All picots used a 1/2 inch picot gauge, though the long picot was made with the gauge held horizontally. The graduated picots were eye-balled.

You can find a whole visual list of decorative picots here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D6l4gQWeGu1Se1ZXAhP2vWLQMd4lfzMJ/view

It wasn't all smooth sailing especially since it was to be both a first trial and the final. I often had to retro-tat, including opening up closed rings. But so worth it!

The Sequence -- I started with the inner onion ring, going clockwise. The entire body and right wing were tatted continuously. However, for bilateral symmetry of the gathered picots on the left wing, I had to join the threads at the base of the onion ring and tat the wing from the back. This also meant joining the picots from the back. It took me three trials to get it right. 

The Tweaks -- The only addition I made was to add a shadow chain with graduated picots along the outer sides of the top rings. I think this provided the motif with balance and body. I didn't use a CWJ for the onion ring, opting for a lock join so that the chain picot could be made properly. For the double picots I divided the 6ds of ring to 4 picot 2. One inadvertent mistake was 2 stitches instead of 3 between the joining picots of side rings. 

The Finish -- I needed to dampen, shape, and let the motif rest to tidy up all elements. However it could've done with some better blocking but I was too excited to see 'finished' and photographed ;-P. 

🦋🦋🦋Now that the metamorphosis is done, let me enjoy my flight to the skies 🦋🦋🦋

Related Posts
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/03/happy-itd-2024.html
https://lelia-stitchesoflife.blogspot.com/2024/04/picot-me-endrucks-april-2024.html
https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/04/no-excuse-to.html

ETs alit

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 Jan to March we refrained from organising any game of the month in our FB group. Both Ninetta and I needed a long break to attend to other tasks. Quite a bit of work is involved in holding a game which is not always visible. 

Instead we asked members to display their Endrucksian Tatting (ET) by taking a collective pic(s) of all their Endrucks' works done thus far. The collage they sent would be showcased as the group cover for a few days. 

We started with Ninetta's exquisite collage, but the images below are not in sequence. Several members have already gifted away most of their models.

Ninetta Caruso has now tatted samplers from all 44 of Endrucks' original patterns, besides so many derivatives!!! She tacked on the 44 samplers to an accordion book which was part of an exhibition of their association. You can read about it in her blog, and do take a few seconds to see the booklet in this video --- https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X-11fHJliaA1WWBigcK51oJMGRv6Xjag/view

And her post - https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2024/04/and-offline-life.html

Lella Loops shared her lovely needle-tatted models most from past games.

Michelle Forclaz sent in her works which include so many patterns she tweaked and played with.

Margaret Davies has been participating and tweaking and designing derivative patterns, too. This is her first collage.

 

Margaret Davies graciously sent in her second collage as well.

Debra F Cox took time out to gather whatever models she had left. She used a couple to decorate the book cover, too.

Muskaan This is my first collage which I detailed here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/02/endrucksian-links.html

Muskaan This is my 2nd collage which shows many of the doilies and snowflakes. Multiples are the result of either the design process or of tweaking for presenting the original pattern.

Antonia Lai had displayed some of her lovely ET at Queensland Tatters in Nov 2023. We used her pic as our cover for the 2nd anniversary of our FB group, hence not repeated this year. She has tatted many more, including new derivatives. In fact it is her Life is Bliss butterfly from E32, that we are using in our game this month.

We thank all our lovely members who took the time to send us a pic. This is merely a sliver of a slice of the Endrucksian pie which has grown in the past few years! 

Meanwhile, I have stopped receiving notifications when I leave a comment on other blogs. Kind of crazy why some glitch or other keeps plaguing Blogger. Fortunately, one just has to wait it out.